Page 15 of Rebel

“Oh, Storm. Good, I was hoping to catch you before you left for school.” She waved me back into the kitchen where she got busy fixing her morning brew. “The Kanes are coming over for a barbecue this weekend, so I’ll need you to grab a few things from the store on your way home.”

My stomach lurched, threatening to eject the bite of waffle. I held the rest of it in one hand, unable to eat. “Why me? Get Chase to do it.”

“I would.” Mom slid a pointed look at Chase who stared at his phone, oblivious. “But I’d like it done properly. That’s why I’m asking you.”

“What day are they coming?” I asked, trying not to be suspicious. “I have plans with Athena this weekend. I might not be here.”

“I expect both you and your brother to be here. We’re new to this neighborhood. It means a lot to me that we make a good first impression. Invite Athena over if you want.” Mom’s back was turned as she stirred cream into her mug. She didn’t see the sour expression I wore.

“Fine. Text me your list. I have to run.” The thought of being forced to have dinner with Rebel and his family was almost too much to bear. What did I ever do to piss off the Universe? Surely this was a punishment of some kind.

I made it to my car and onto campus without running into Rebel. My first two classes were demanding of my attention, making it easy to forget about him for a while. I had an hour before my third class which gave me a chance to grab food and catch up on some work. After buying a chicken salad sandwich, some fries, and an iced latte, I found a free table outside and got busy.

While chewing bites of my sandwich, I worked on a class assignment. The weather was great, providing a gentle breeze that occasionally lifted my hair. I wished I could work outside all day. Going back into a stuffy classroom would suck after this.

As I worked and munched my lunch, a familiar voice reached me. Oh no. Maybe if I kept my head down and ignored him, he wouldn’t notice me sitting here.

Rebel and some girl I didn’t know walked past, coming from the parking lot. She talked animatedly while he gave bored responses. When I dared to glance up, I found him staring straight at me.

He pulled her to a stop, motioning to a nearby table. They sat down, keeping up their conversation. She ran a hand down his tattooed arm, remarking about how much ink he had.

“You should see the rest of it,” he said, his tone oozing fake charm.

She giggled, making me grit my teeth. “I would love to find out how far it goes.”

“I’m sure we can make that happen.” Rebel looked more at me than her. I made sure he saw me roll my eyes.

Was this some pathetic attempt to make me jealous? What was there to be jealous of? Maybe the fact that he hadn’t dumped garbage over her head or left her a dead animal.

Averting my gaze, I did my best to keep working. My mind wasn’t in it anymore. If Rebel wanted a reaction, he wouldn’t be getting one.

“Is it okay if I sit here?”

I glanced up, surprised to find a dark haired cutie standing next to my table. It was the guy the girls had called River. One of the Venom boys.

“Sure, go for it.” I offered him a friendly smile, keenly aware of Rebel’s glare in our direction.

River sat down across from me, plopping a text book on the table. He nodded to my laptop. “Are you catching up on work too?”

“Yeah. I just transferred here, so I’m a little behind. Business stuff. Good times. What are you studying?” Making polite small talk helped me keep my focus off Rebel, although I knew he watched our every move.

“Journalism. It’s not as exciting as I thought it would be. I’m enjoying it though.” He extended a hand. “I’m River. River Harris. Don’t believe anything you hear about me.”

His playful grin was warm and inviting. I shook his hand, aware of Rebel in my peripheral view. He clenched a hand into a fist, no longer listening to the girl beside him.

“Storm Masters,” I replied. “You probably shouldn’t believe anything you hear about me either. Especially if it comes from Rebel Kane.”

River made a face of disgust. “No worries. I wouldn’t trust a thing that comes out of that guy’s mouth. Has he been bothering you?”

I found myself hesitating. I didn’t know River at all. Sharing the truth with him might not be the best move. Would he use it as a reason to make more trouble for Rebel and his friends? As much as I’d like to stick it to Rebel, I didn’t want River to use me as a reason to go after him.

“He’s my neighbor,” I answered honestly. “His mere existence bothers me. It’s all good though. I can handle him.”

A comfortable silence fell as River and I both turned to our work. After several minutes passed, he closed his book and stretched.

“I can’t focus on this shit right now. I don’t want to bother you while you’re working, but maybe we can grab a drink sometime. Maybe this weekend?” River quirked a brow, his expression hopeful.

“I don’t think so. She has plans with me.” Rebel was suddenly there, looming over River. “Now beat it, Harris. I need to have words with my pet.”

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